birds and animals montage

Northern Line

Overview

Birds and animals in literature and legend

'This is probably the most difficult line of all to take in,' said Miranda.

'No shortage of examples, though,' observed Quintin.

'No, none at all,' agreed Miranda. 'And some of them are unequivocal.'

'Like the stories from Ancient Greece and Rome in Ovid's Metamorphosis,' agreed Quintin.

'Yes, it all goes back to some quite primitive beliefs. But I was thinking more of the Norse poems and sagas,' said Miranda. 'When Sigurd and Sinfjotli assume wolf skins and go off into the forest to live. Or when two Scandinavian warriors openly accuse each other of being animals in previous lives.'

'Well, you could say that the most explicit examples of all are in the medieval romances,' said Quintin. 'William of Palerne is seized by a wolf when he is a small child and carried across the sea by it. Then he lives for a few weeks in an earthen den that the wolf has made, thinking that the wolf is his parent, before beginning another new life as a child at the emperor's court.'

'William and the Werewolf?'

'Yes. And that's the giveaway, really. Prince Alfonso is the werewolf; a proper wolf with a man's mind, a wolf who used to be a man and will be again when the spell is removed. But there are other examples, just as bizarre.'

'I can give you one straight away,' said Miranda.

'Go on then.'

'When the child Octavian is seized by a lioness, which in turn is seized by a griffin and carried away by it.'

'What is a griffin, exactly?'

'A mythological creature that is half eagle, half lion. The lioness is carried to an isle by this bird, if bird it is, with the infant sleeping in her mouth! Then she suckles it with all her other cubs on this island, before the child is rescued and taken back to live a human life once more.'

'Sir Isumbras's sons share a similar fate,' said Quintin. 'They are seized by animals and taken off by them. Then they re-enter the story right at the very end, in curious circumstances, riding on the same sort of animals that they were abducted by.'

'But this griffin interests me,' said Miranda. 'Because another one takes Cristabel's baby son away across the sea in the romance of Sir Eglamour of Artois. Have you heard of the story that used to be told to children about a new baby having been brought by a stork?'

'Of course I do.'

'Well, then the baby in the lioness's mouth was truly a new arrival, only brought by a griffin rather than a stork. And when another griffin deposited Cristabel's son on a distant shore, it gave him a slap with its beak before flying off.'

'Meaning?'

'Midwives used to give a baby a slap just after it was born, to get it breathing properly, I believe.'

Take a quick tour

The Northern Line passes through a succession of places in time and location where birds and animals are to be found in literature, legend or mythology. Click or tap on the circles and tunnel markers to dive deeper into the discoveries that Quintin and Miranda have made. Alternatively, click or tap on the large grey button for a quick journey through the summaries. Click or tap on any summary to dive deeper.

Birds and animals

Click and move to the next item

Ancient Egyptian Religion

The Apis Bull

3000 BC–4th century AD, Memphis, ancient Egypt.

The Apis Bull was an incarnation of the god Ptah, and after death, the god Osiris.

Ancient Egyptian Religion

Mummified Cats

Bronze Age–Iron Age Ancient Egypt, Bubastis, Lower Egypt.

The temple of Bastet had a waterway running around it, a statue of Bastet herself, the cat goddess, and lots of friendly, well-looked-after cats lying around, sitting, sunning themselves.

Medieval Icelandic Sagas

The Saga of the Volsungs

13th century, Old Norse, from much older oral tradition.

Sigmund and Sinfjotli put on the wolfskins and went back into the forest, howling like wolves and understanding their speech.

Medieval Icelandic Sagas

The Saga of Hrafnkel Priest of Frey

13th century, Old Norse.

Freyfaxi means 'Frey mane'. He is a sacred horse.

Irish Mythology

Tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill: Bran and Sceolan

pre-12th century–present. Old Irish | Modern Irish, folklore.

Bran and Sceolan, although Fionn’s maternal nephews and with human minds, remained as dogs.

Irish Mythology

The Story of Tuan mac Carell

12th century, Old Irish, Lebor na hUidre (Book of the Dun Cow), Royal Irish Academy.

One evening, Tuan mac Carell fell asleep and awoke the next morning as a deer.

Irish Mythology

The Tuatha de Danaan: Midhir and Etain

pre-12th century–present. Old Irish | Modern Irish, folklore.

Fuamach found Etain in the hill of Angus Og and turned her into a fly.

Irish Mythology

The Tuatha de Danaan: Midhir and Etain

pre-12th century–present. Old Irish | Modern Irish, folklore.

When the High King of Ireland and all his men rush outside to see where they have gone, all they can see are two swans flying away.

Irish Mythology

The Tuatha de Danaan: The Children of Lir

pre-12th century–present. Old Irish | Modern Irish, folklore.

By the power of her magic, Aoife turned them all into swans.

Irish and Scandinavian Mythology

Swans: The Children of Lir and The Lay of Volund

pre-12th century, Medieval, Old Irish | Old Norse, folklore.

Three maidens are found spinning linen by a shore, and beside them are discarded swans’ garments.

Medieval Romance

Octavian

13th century, Old French: 14th century Middle English versions at Cambridge University Library, Lincoln Cathedral Library, British Library

The lioness cared for the baby as though it was one of her own cubs.

Medieval Romance

Sir Isumbras

Early-fourteenth century, Middle English, Cambridge University Library, Lincoln Cathedral Library, British Library.

In the nick of time, Sir Isumbras’s sons miraculously appear. One is riding a lion, another a leopard and the third a unicorn.

Medieval Arthurian Legend

The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle

16th century, Middle English, Bodleian Library, Oxford

"Ther is a byrd men calle an owlle, and yett a Lady I am."

Middle English Breton Lais

The incredible story of Sir Gowther

14th century, Middle English: British Library, Advocates Library of Scotland.

He raced swiftly through the crowd up to the high table and sat beneath it. The steward came towards him with a stick.

Welsh Mythology

The Mabinogion: Manawydan son of Llyr

14th century, Middle Welsh, National Library of Wales.

'I will give you twenty-five pounds for this mouse,' says the bishop.

Welsh Mythology and Old Welsh Literature

Peniardd MS 2: The Romance of Taliesin

14th century or earlier Old Welsh poetry and prose, National Library of Wales.

Gwion plunges into a river and becomes a fish. Cerridwen becomes an otter and the pursuit goes on.

Welsh Mythology

The Mabinogion: Math Son of Mathonwy

14th century, Middle Welsh, National Library of Wales

Math turns his nephews into pigs; Gwydyon into a wild sow and his brother Gilvaethwy into a wild boar.

Medieval Romance

The Story of William and the Werewolf

12th century, Old French | 14th century Middle English alliterative translation, Library of King's College Cambridge.

The cry went out for everybody to hunt for two white bears.

Medieval Romance

The Story of William and the Werewolf

12th century, Old French | 14th century Middle English alliterative translation, Library of King's College Cambridge.

This wolf must have a human consciousness!

Welsh Mythology

The Mabinogion: Pwyll Lord of Dyved

14th century, Middle Welsh, National Library of Wales.

Going back into the stable, the Welsh nobleman finds a baby lying on the floor.

Old French Tales from Brittany

Marie de France: The Story of Eliduc

12th century, Old French: British Library, Bibliothèque Nationale Paris.

The weasel places a flower in the dead weasel’s mouth. Almost immediately, the animal revives and sets off with its companion.

Old French Tales from Brittany

Marie de France: The Story of Guigemar

12th century, Old French: British Library, Bibliothèque Nationale Paris.

The deer fell very badly hurt; but incredibly, the arrow bounced off the deer’s skull, flew back through the air and transfixed Guigemar through the thigh.

Roman Mythology

Ovid: Metamorphoses

1st century BC, Latin, Ancient Roman.

When Aesacus had gained confidence in his new wings and feathers, he soared high into the sky and once more sent himself crashing down into the waves.

Roman Mythology

Ovid: Metamorphoses

1st century BC, Latin, Ancient Roman.

The goddess Circe turned Picus into a woodpecker, and all his followers into beasts of the forest.

Roman Mythology

Ovid: Metamorphoses

1st century BC, Latin, Ancient Roman.

Alcyone moves the very gods to take pity on them both and they transform Ceyx into a bird as well.

Ancient Greek Mythology

A Homeric Hymn to Dionysus

7th century BC, Ancient Greece.

A bear appeared from nowhere, standing upon its hind legs in the stern of the ship.

Ancient Athenian Drama

Aristophanes: The Birds

5th century BC, Ancient Greek, Athens.

Well here he is, this gentleman, returned from Olympus. A man who is now a bird.

Ancient Athenian Drama

Aristophanes: Peace

5th century BC, Ancient Greek.

The goddess is released from where she was imprisoned underground by the gods, and a dung beetle flies off to pull Zeus’s chariot for him.

Ancient Athenian Drama

Euripides: Hecabe

5th century BC, Ancient Greek, Athens.

Hecabe will drown in the sea, and become a dog.

Ancient Athenian Drama

Euripides: Iphigenia at Aulis

5th century BC, Ancient Greek, Athens.

A deer lay bleeding on the ground beneath the altar of Artemis, a deer draining its lifeblood over the sacred stones.

Medieval Icelandic Sagas

Eyrbyggja Saga

13th century, Old Norse, Iceland.

The fish pile was quickly dismantled but there was no sign of the seal.

Medieval Icelandic Sagas

Eyrbyggja Saga

13th century, Old Norse, Iceland.

Glossy the Bull was chased into a marshy area of the river and disappeared, never to be seen again.

Medieval Icelandic Sagas

Kormak's Saga: Walrus

13th century, Old Norse, 14th century MS at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, Reykjavik.

People thought they recognised Thorveig's eyes when they saw the walrus.

Scandinavian Mythology

Snorri Sturluson: The Prose Edda

13th century, Icelandic: numerous copies in Iceland, Copenhagen.

Loki turned himself into a mare and proceeded to drive the giant’s stallion mad with lust for three nights in succession.

Medieval Icelandic Sagas

The Saga of the Volsungs

13th century, Old Norse, from much older oral tradition.

Ottr used to spend his days hunting fish in a pool. He was like an otter in every way.

Scandinavian Mythology

Snorri Sturluson: The Prose Edda

13th century, Icelandic: numerous copies in Iceland, Copenhagen.

Loki and Heimdall become seals.

Scandinavian Mythology

Iceland: The Poetic Edda

13th century, Old Norse, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, Reykjavik.

'You were once a mare with a precious bit in your mouth!' shouted Gudmund.

Elizabethan English Poetry

Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Qveene

16th century, Elizabethan English. Numerous printed copies.

"There did the warlike Maide her selfe repose, under the wings of Isis all that night..."

Ancient Egyptian Religion

The Goddess Isis

Ancient Egypt, 2500 BC: Greco-Roman world, eastern Mediterranean.

The Egyptian goddess Isis was often depicted with cows horns, or as Mut-Isis-Nekhbet, with the spreading wings of the Egyptian Vulture.

Ancient Athenian Drama

Euripides: The Bacchae

5th century BC, Ancient Greek. Athens.

King Penthus speaking to Dionysus: "Were you a beast before? You have become a bull."

Ancient Greek Mythology

Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur

Ancient Aegean, Crete, eastern Mediterranean.

Theseus killed the Minotaur and retraced his way back to Ariadne by rolling the thread up on its spindle.

Roman Mythology

Ovid: Metamorphoses

1st century BC, Latin, Ancient Roman.

Arachne depicted the god Neptune as a bull and as a ram, as a horse and as a dolphin.

Roman Mythology

Ovid: Metamorphoses

1st century BC, Latin, Ancient Roman.

Actaeon ran as fast as he could through woodland where he had so often chased deer; but now he was a deer himself!